A Tale of Two Andy's
by PotCFan101
Summary: Six months after Freddy Krueger was defeated for good, Andy Barclay wakes up in a strange yet familiar world, where characters he thought only existed in television shows are real. Meanwhile, in his home universe, a doppelganger of Barclay wakes up in a similar manner. As they figure out what happened, they're hit with a revelation that shatters everything they thought they knew.
1. Prologue: The Beginning of the End

_Prologue_

 _Earth 88_

Frank Castle looked around the battlefield, seeing explosions everywhere, the sounds were deafening his ears. Frank observed his surroundings, seeing his fallen comrades, amongst them were Daredevil in a skin tight leather red suit and two D's on the chest, John Constantine in his black suit and jet black hair, the Batman in a campy grey suit with a blue cowl, who also held shark repellant, Steve Rogers in his cheap homemade Captain America uniform, where the wings stood out of the mask, the norse god Thor, who appeared in clothes resembling a viking, and the Human Torch, who looked awfully similar to Rogers. As the Punisher looked further across the field, he saw the ring of a Green Lantern, most likely Hal Jordan's, the mercenary Deadpool with his mouth sewn up, the Flash with a more armored version of his suit, the vampire hunter known as Blade, Johnny Blaze, with his Ghost Rider flames extinguished, a caucasian Nick Fury who still had two eyes, the body of Mister Fantastic that was stretched too far, and Superman, laying on his back as his cape and suit were torn to shreds, leaving only his red underwear, the blue pants, and crimson boots.

Finally, Frank looked at himself in a puddle of mud, seeing himself wearing a leather jacket and looking like that Russian boxer from the Rocky movies. Castle struggled to stand, and had to resort to a crawl towards a book, appearing black as night in color, bound and locked by a clasp in the shape of a raven. Just as his fingers brushed against the spine, someone else approached him and stepped on his hand, crushing every bone in the wrist down. As Castle grunted in pain, the figure bent down, picking up the book and stared down at the Punisher. Frank gasped, using his good hand to sit himself up, and looked at the one who broke his hand. The man looked rather simple, wearing nothing but victorian era gentleman's clothes, slightly messy hair, and a moustache that was neatly shaven.

"You failed." The man announced, staring down at Frank condescendingly. Gasping for breath, Castle looked up at the man in mercy.

"Why are you doing this, Poe?" Frank asked, trying to find some reason for what had transpired.

"You have all done this to yourselves." Poe replied coldly. "You have forgotten what real terror is. And now, you, along with many other worlds, shall be snuffed out like a flame." Poe unlocked the raven clasp and opened the book, letting loose a wave of dark clouds, before the shadows engulfed him and the book. Frank looked on in horror, and all he could do was scream, as everything faded into the abyss and his world was literally ripped apart.


	2. Black Ops Mission

_Boston_

 _May 2020_

Andy Barclay approached the brownstone house, having tracked his target there. It had been six months since the defeat of Freddy Krueger, and in the aftermath of the battle, Nick Fury offered him a position as a black ops agent for SHIELD. Seeing as his personal business in Hell's Kitchen was destroyed Andy accepted, where he took on assignments involving the supernatural. These last few nights had been exhausting, however, as Barclay was running on little sleep while trying to capture a serial killer dubbed as "The Headsman". After tugging on his SHIELD jumpsuit, which featured a cracked and darkened eagle emblem, Andy activated his earpiece.

"Director Fury, I found where our executioner is." Andy told Nick. "He's holed up in a brownstone on the North end in Boston."

"Copy, Agent Barclay." Fury's voice boomed through the other end. "Shall I send some backup?"

"Negative, I should be able to handle this." Andy said casually, pulling out a glock and kicked the door down. After peering inside and noticing the home was pitch black, Andy turned on an emergency flashlight, and began exploring the Headsman's house. Barclay swept through the ground floor, and once he found a cellar, he headed down the stairs, loading his pistol and turning the safety off. The stairs were old, rickety, and each step Andy took, they creaked and groaned under his weight. Thankfully, none of the steps broke, and Barclay stepped onto the hard dirt floor without any trouble. Andy then turned his flashlight back on, and nearly gasped in shock, seeing half a dozen disembodied heads laying on a table at the far end of the room. Most were stuffed onto spikes, while others were horribly mutilated.

"Holy shit." Andy gasped, and as if acting on instinct, he heard a near silent breathing behind him, and ducked in the nick of time, hearing a blade swipe at air. Andy rolled forward, looking behind him to see the Headsman himself, ready to murder his next victim.

"Jesus." Barclay murmured, sizing the serial killer up. The Headsman wore regular farmhand clothes, with a burlap sack over his head, with only the eyeholes showing cold, dead eyes. In his hands was a gigantic battle axe, which was, unfortunately, not just for show.

The Headsman growled, swinging the axe towards Andy, who narrowly jumped backwards out of the way. Andy put enough distance between himself and the killer and began emptying his gun's clip into the monster, but it just kept coming. Once it was finally in swinging distance, the Headsman swiped his axe in a wide arc, attempting to cut through Barclay's midsection. Andy knew he couldn't dodge the attack, so he grabbed onto the shaft as it swung, and became entangled in a macabre tug of war. Soon enough, Andy realized he wouldn't win by brute strength, and he lashed out with his leg, kicking the Headsman in the groin. The executioner grunted in pain, but loosened his grip on the axe. Seeing his chance, Andy ripped the battle axe away from his foe, and in one swift motion, he swung the axe so hard, he cut off the Headsman's head in a clean swipe. The Headsman's body instantly crumpled to the floor, while the hooded head rolled across the floor.

"Nick, it's over." Andy said into his earpiece. "The Headsman serial killer is dead. Boston is safe for now."

"Great job, Agent Barclay." Fury complimented. "Get some rest. You've earned it."

"Copy that, sir." Andy smirked, before shutting off his communicator and leaving the brownstone. On the way out, Barclay didn't notice a raven as black as night watching him, before flying away.

* * *

 _Arkham, Massachusetts_

The raven flew towards a small town South of Boston, where it flew into an open window of a gray house, momentarily startling a man with a long face and wearing a suit and tie. Not long after the raven flew in did it change into the form of a man.

"What happened, Poe?" The man with the long face asked eagerly.

"Your pathetic creation was destroyed." Poe muttered bitterly. "You did not think big enough."

"What?" The man asked, shocked. "But what I created with this-" The man gestured to the black book with the raven lock. "-It is the best I have ever done!"

"Then it is a waste of your talent." Poe snapped. "You failed me, Lovecraft. And I do not tolerate failure."

"Edgar, listen-" Lovecraft begged, but was quickly interrupted.

"SILENCE!" Edgar Allan Poe roared, and as if there was an invisible force, Lovecraft could no longer speak. After regaining his composure, Poe continued. "I brought you back to life because I thought you could instill the world with terror again. But you failed me. And I don't do second chances anymore." With that, Edgar walked over and opened the midnight colored book, and a black shroud erupted from the pages, taking the form of rats that scurried towards Lovecraft. For his part, HP Lovecraft was paralyzed on the spot, and only began moving once the rats began feasting on his flesh. The former horror author screamed and writhed in agony, as his flesh and insides were slowly eaten from the inside out. Poe simply smiled grimly, and left the room, holding the book in tow. By the time the rats finished feeding off of Lovecraft's body, all that was left were bloody bones and cloth, leaving the corpse unrecognizable.

* * *

 _Bangor, Maine_

Edgar Allan Poe used his supernatural powers to teleport towards an estate in Maine, appearing right at the front door. After pausing for a moment to take a look at the exterior of the mansion, Poe sharply rapped his knuckles against the door, and several minutes later, the door opened, revealing a man with graying hair and glasses.

"I told you reporters, my new book won't be out for another month-" The man stopped, seeing Poe. "Oh God. You're-"

"Yes." Edgar interrupted, and presented the book. "And I know you, Stephen King. I have looked at your works, and even if they are not my, per say, cup of tea, I must say that I am impressed. I have seen you create worlds in your stories, King. How would you like to change this one?"

"How do you mean?" Stephen asked, confused. To that, Poe handed him the book, and at the same time, he teleported the two back to his own home in Baltimore.

"I created this tome to manipulate realities." Poe explained. "Simply open it and imagine something, it can be made so."

"Oh God, I can see everything!" King said, as he opened the book and black shrouds escaped from the pages. "I can see all the universes, the multiverses!"

"Reality is in your hands, Stephen." Poe reminded the author. "Just remember: Think big." With that, Poe transformed back into a raven and flew away, while King began to reshape reality as he thought it should be.


	3. Body-Swapped?

_Chicago_

 _2023_

Andy woke up after a good night's rest, but felt as if something was off. He quickly looked around the bedroom seeing it was more white in color than he remembered. Barclay got up and searched the room, looking for his SHIELD uniform, but couldn't find it.

"Looking for something?" Andy turned around, seeing Nica leaning against the doorway.

"Yeah." Andy admitted. "Have you seen my SHIELD suit?"

"What's SHIELD?" Nica frowned.

"You know, SHIELD." Andy tried to explain. "The organization that tries to keep the world safe, run by Nick Fury."

"You mean Argus?" Nica asked. "Which is being assisted by Diggle and Oliver."

"Who?" Andy asked out loud. Nica looked at him curiously, wondering what was wrong.

"Honey, did you get any sleep last night?" Nica asked. "I know you tried to stay up for Alice to come home after working an extended shift at the department, but I don't remember you climbing into bed until much later." Andy sighed, closing his eyes, realizing that something happened for him to be in this situation, but for now, he pretended to play along.

"You're right, it probably is lack of sleep." Andy weakly excused. "I'll feel better after coffee." Once he finished, Nica chuckled, smiling at her husband.

"I love you, Andy."

"And I love you, Nica."

 _New York_

 _2020_

A figure who looked like Andy Barclay woke up to find him lying in bed, but he knew that something was off. Somehow, he knew something had changed, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Slowly, Andy got out of bed and looked out the window, seeing the Empire State building in the distance, as well as… a tower with the letter "A" on it.

"I'm in New York?" Andy mumbled. "How the Hell did I get here?" Just then, Andy heard the door open, and he turned around, finding a woman standing there who looked exactly like his wife, Nica.

"Good morning." Nica smiled. "Sleep well?" Andy simply nodded, before getting down to business.

"How am I in New York?" Andy asked, confused.

"Uh, we live here?" Nica guessed. "Are you sure you got enough sleep? You took quite a while getting back from Boston last night."

"I… I'm fine." Andy lied. "Just needed to jog my memory, I suppose."

"Well, hopefully you remembered that you need to meet up with Fury in the morning." Nica told him.

"Who?" Andy asked.

"The director of SHIELD." Nica elaborated, raising an eyebrow. "The guy you work for. Are you sure you got some sleep?"

"I swear, I did." Andy protested.

"Okay then." Nica said, and pointed to a wardrobe. "Your suit's in there." Andy frowned, not recalling having a suit, but as he opened the wooden cabinet, a dark blue jumpsuit fell out, sporting an darkened eagle logo. Andy squinted at the image, somehow knowing he had seen that before, but it couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. Andy quickly took the jumpsuit and put it on, having slight difficulty, but eventually got it on. Once Barclay left the bedroom, an idea popped in his head.

"Where's Alice?" Andy asked.

"She's just out here, watching TV." Nica replied, pointing towards the small living room. Andy walked over, seeing Alice sitting on the couch, but it wasn't the same niece he knew. When he saw Alice, she appeared to be a few years younger than he last saw her, and he began to get a bad feeling.

"What year is this?" Andy asked, and Nica raised an eyebrow.

"It's 2020." Nica said slowly. "How could you forget?"

"Maybe it is lack of sleep." Andy mumbled, before staring at the TV, seeing familiar images flash by. "Alice, what are you watching?"

"The show's called Arrow." Alice said proudly. "I'm watching the episode where Oliver Queen teams up with a sorcerer named Constantine to save someone's soul!" Andy nearly lost his breath, hearing his best friend's names, and stared at the screen, where people who looked exactly like the Green Arrow and Constantine were fighting alongside each other, while trying to restore the soul of Sara Lance. And in that moment, in a second of clarity, Andy knew where he was, and what had happened to him.

"Oh, shit…"

* * *

 _Chicago_

 _2023_

Andy got dressed and ready for the day, then he and Nica started walking outside.

"Where should we go?" Andy asked, as he held hands with the woman who looked like his wife.

"Let's start at the station." Nica proposed. "Maybe we'll see Alice there." Even though he had no idea what she meant, Andy just nodded, deciding to keep his mouth shut.

Alice Pierce finished her paperwork for the last case she finished, and began to leave the precinct. It had already been a busy night, with crime rates going through the roof, and Alice wanted to get even a little bit of rest. All that changed, however, when she got to the front desk, and saw two of the most important people in her life.

"Aunty Nica?" Alice asked, recognizing the couple. Andy and Nica turned around, smiling at the sight of their niece.

"Hi, Alice." Nica beamed, walking over and hugging her. Alice grinned, returning the embrace, and moved on to hug Andy, who looked stiff for a moment. "How's work?"

"Oh, it's fine." Alice said, with a hint of sarcasm. "Only the paperwork is bad." Alice broke off the hug and looked at her uncle, who had a puzzled expression.

"You've grown." Andy noted. At the comment, Alice rolled her eyes.

"Did I just get a growth spurt?" Alice asked. "You saw me just last night."

"I did?" Andy barely asked, and his voice cracked. "What year is this?"

"2023?" Nica told him, giving a quizzical look. "Andy, what's wrong? You've been acting strange all morning." Andy sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I'm… not from around here." Andy revealed. "I feel like I'm somehow in a different universe, where everything has changed slightly. Instead of SHIELD, it's Argus. Instead of Fury, the guy is Diggle…" Andy stopped for a moment, feeling something in his pocket, and pulled a small, metal disc out, with the center glowing blue.

"As weird as that sounds, it's believable." Nica groaned. "Maybe Barry changed the timeline again."

"Or not." Alice spoke up, gaining the attention of Nica and Andy. "I know I've heard of a SHIELD before…" Alice pulled out her phone and accessed Netflix. "It should be… here!" Alice presented the phone's screen in Andy's face, who looked bewildered.

"What is this?" Andy asked, seeing that on the Netflix platform, there were TV shows that looked familiar. The ones he recognized had labels of "Daredevil", "Jessica Jones", "Luke Cage", "Iron Fist", and "The Punisher". Once he stared at the Punisher, all Andy could see was the face of Frank Castle, his best friend who died six months prior. Barclay looked towards the right, seeing another image of a unique eagle logo, with the title, "Agents of SHIELD".

"You're sure you're from another universe, where these shows are real?" Alice asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes." Andy gasped. "I knew Frank Castle personally."

"Then we'd better find a way to get you back." Nica decided. "Alice, do you think you can leave early?"

"Absolutely." Alice confirmed. "But why?"

"Because we're going to have to pay Cisco a visit at STAR Labs."

* * *

 _New York_

 _2020_

Andy stood staring at the television screen, motionless, while Nica and Alice seemed to be talking to him. Once he finally came out of shock, Barclay turned towards his supposed wife, who was still speaking.

"Andy, what's going on?" Nica asked. "You've been acting weird ever since you woke up!" Andy took in a deep breath, before exhaling slowly, making the decision to tell the truth.

"I'm not from this world." Andy confessed. "I'm from a universe where those shows; Arrow, Constantine, the Flash, those are real. A couple of my closest friends are Oliver Queen and John Constantine." Nica stared at Andy for a moment, and he started feeling like an idiot. That is, until she spoke.

"As crazy as that sounds, I believe you." Nica whispered. "With everything that has happened in the last three years, this seems plausible."

"But what do we do?" Alice asked. "How do we get our Andy back?"

"I'm not sure." Nica said truthfully. "But maybe Fury can help us with that…"


	4. Explaining the Multiverse

_STAR Labs_

 _2023_

Barry Allen was running at supersonic speed in the pipeline, trying to get even faster than ever, when he heard Cisco Ramone talk to him over comms.

"Hey, Bear, we got company." Right as Cisco finished talking, Flash sped out of the track and into the lab's control room, coming into an abrupt halt when he nearly ran into Andy Barclay and his family.

"Andy, it's been a while." Barry greeted, shaking the man's hand. Andy simply gave the Flash a confused look, before Allen continued. "What's up?"

"That's what we were going to mention." Cisco brought up. "That's not Andy. At least, not our Andy."

"Is this guy from another Earth?" Barry asked.

"Possibly." Andy murmured, shifting his weight on one foot to another. "Where I'm from, you guys exist in television shows."

"So, where's our Andy?" Barry asked.

"We don't know." Nica piped up. "But, if I were to guess, he's switched this Andy's place in his universe."

"So, we just find the Earth that this version of Andy is from." Cisco hypothesized.

"Don't bother trying, you can't." Everyone turned around, seeing a man with dark hair and glasses.

"Why not, Wells?" Barry asked, curious.

"Because what he's describing doesn't sound like a different universe." Harry Wells explained, moving a white board to the center of the room and drawing on it. "It sounds like a completely different multiverse."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Andy asked, as Wells continued drawing.

"Pretend this-" Harry drew a circle, then a bunch of small circles in it. "-Is the multiverse we are in. This world is Earth One, then there's Two, Three, Earth X… you get the picture. The multiverse you're from, however-" Wells drew another large circle, also encasing smaller circles within it. "Is separate from ours."

"This actually makes sense now." Cisco said, and everyone stared at him. "This morning, I had a vibe of two people with a book."

"What did you see?" Andy asked.

"It'd be better if I just show you." Cisco told him, and grabbed his hand. In an instant, Andy's mind flashed towards seeing a man with a suit and in a moustache giving a huge black book to an older man with glasses, standing in front of a narrow house. Unfortunately, as soon as the vision started, it was over, and Andy stepped back, holding onto his head.

"What did you see?" Nica asked.

"I saw… two men… with a book." Andy slowly gasped.

"I don't know who they are." Cisco told everyone apologetically.

"I do." Andy revealed. "One is Stephen King, the other is Edgar Allan Poe. Both standing outside his home. But Poe's been dead for over a hundred years."

"So what can we do?" Alice asked, nervous.

"We need to get back to my multiverse, and get your Andy back." Andy announced, pulling out the disc. "If I'm right, this device was used to transport Supergirl back to Earth 38, right?"

"Yeah, and I gave one to you- I mean, our Andy- shortly after." Cisco told him. "If Harry and I can tweak it slightly, it can probably be used to transport you to different multiverses. It'll probably take less than an hour." Andy started to become desperate, and he quickly handed Ramone the device, where he and Wells immediately got to work on it.

* * *

 _Chicago_

 _2020_

Andy, Nica, and Alice exited the quinjet that picked them up in New York and approached the facility before them, which Nica informed was labeled "The Dollhouse".

"Why'd it have to be here?" Andy asked, feeling sick. "Does this 'Fury' have a twisted sense of humor?"

"Must have." Nica agreed, as the three set foot inside the facility. Nica and Alice led Andy through multiple corridors, eventually making it to the briefing room, where a bald man in an eyepatch was waiting with various individuals. Some were people Andy recognized, such as Ash Williams, Laurie Strode, and Tommy Jarvis, despite that he was of a different world, but there were two other people he didn't know. One of the men had a beard and wore a hat reminiscent of a cowboy's, while the other wore clothes similar to the outfit Barclay himself wore when he travelled back in time to the golden age of piracy.

"Agent Barclay." Fury stated, and Andy saluted. Nick frowned, and added. "No need for that. I asked you here to because I have a feeling something is off."

"And what would that be?" Andy asked nervously.

"Ever since last night, there have been energy readings in New York, specifically, at your apartment." Fury explained, looking Barclay in the eye. "And I think you know more than you're letting on." Andy stared Fury down, thinking he couldn't trust the director of SHIELD. Luckily, Nica decided to speak in that moment.

"He's not our Andy." Nica blurted out. "He's from a different universe."

"Wait, what?" Ash asked, downing some beer.

"We think he switched places with the real Andy from this world." Alice elaborated. "I know that sounds crazy-"

"No it doesn't." The man that looked like a pirate interrupted. "That's exactly how I got here."

"Who are you?" Andy asked, getting a sense of Deja Vu.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, mate." The pirate grinned, revealing a gold toothed smile.

"Mister Sparrow fought alongside with the Avengers on multiple occasions." Fury informed everyone. "In the end, he was the one who outsmarted and defeated Thanos."

"Who's the other guy?" Andy asked, pointing towards the man in the cowboy hat. "I recognize Ash, Laurie, and Tommy, they exist on my Earth. But who's that?"

"Creighton Duke." The cowboy greeted. "Like Jarvis, I also fought Jason Voorhees. I just decided to be more hidden."

"What do you mean, 'your Earth'?" Laurie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's… it's complicated." Andy stammered, but suddenly saw a clear board at the back of the room. Andy walked over towards it, picking up a blank marker, and began drawing. "A friend showed me something like this. Think of it this way. This circle here-" Andy drew a large circle that contained smaller circles. "-As this multiverse. In it, are multiple different universes. Meanwhile, this second circle-" Andy drew a another circle with smaller circles, identical to the first. "-Is where I'm from. I've already visited a couple different universes there too."

"Makes sense. Kind of." Tommy shrugged. "There's probably some type of universe where Ash and I team up to stop Freddy and Jason from taking over America!"

"Hmm, we'll figure this out later. " Fury muttered, before checking his electronic tablet, as he was alerted to a threat. "But right now, something is attacking people in broad daylight in Derry, Maine." Andy looked over at Fury's tablet, recognizing the image of a clown in the street camera.

"It's him." Andy gasped, and everyone looked at him.

"You know what that is?" Duke asked.

"Yes. He's known as Pennywise the clown, but he is much, much worse." Andy explained. "A few years ago, when a sorcerer tried to destroy my Earth, he unleashed the legions of Hell. Pennywise was one of the creatures who escaped."

"What's he doing here?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know, I remember my friend Constantine blew his head off with an enchanted shotgun." Andy replied.

"Either way, all of you, get down there and neutralize that monster." Fury ordered. "You too, Barclay."

"Why me?" Andy asked. "I'm not your Andy, remember?"

"We'll sort this out later, but for now, we need you." Fury promised. "Just make sure it doesn't kill anyone else." Barclay reluctantly nodded, and he, Ash, Laurie, Tommy, Creighton, and Sparrow exited the bunker and into the quinjet, with Sparrow flying towards Maine.


	5. Long Distance Travelling

_STAR Labs_

 _2023_

Andy patiently tapped his foot, waiting for Cisco and Wells to finish on the dimension hopper, at least that's what they called it. As far as he could tell it's been nearly an hour, and Andy was starting to grow weary. Finally, after a few more moments, Cisco came back with the metallic disc, now modified.

"Okay, Harry and I were able to tinker with it a bit, and we were able to amplify the tech to reach into completely separate multiverses." Cisco announced. "Just think, you can visit the universe of the Big Bang Theory, or Friends!"

"Do you have a way I can find my doppelganger?" Andy asked. Just then, the Flash zoomed into the lab, carrying a blonde haired man in a trench coat with him. Another second went by, and a man in an expensive suit with wings seemingly teleported in, with someone wearing a green hood next to him.

"No, but they do." Barry told Barclay, pointing to the others.

"John Constantine, mate." the blond man smirked, lighting a cigarette. "I knew a man with your face for six years."

"And my name is Oliver Queen." the man in the green hood added. "I've known John for a while, and he introduced us to this Earth's version of you when trying to stop Charles Lee Ray."

"What happened?" Andy asked, his face turning pale at the mention of the serial killer turned doll.

"Long story short, he possessed your would-be wife, but after you saved her soul, he tried kicking off the apocalypse." the man in the suit said nonchalantly, and his wings folded into his back. "Name's Lucifer Morningstar, by the way."

"Stage name?" Andy asked.

"God given." Lucifer replied, with a wicked smile.

"He's the actual devil." Nica whispered.

"You said you had a way to track your version of myself?" Andy asked, getting down to business.

"Yes. Five years ago, after aliens invaded and took him and his family captive, this Earth's Andy requested that I inject him with tracking nanites." Oliver explained. "Once we hop dimensions, the tracker should work."

"So what are Constantine and Morningstar doing here?" Nica asked.

"Oh, we're just here for the ride, love." Constantine replied, crushing out his cigarette. "It's been a while since I've seen you lot."

"We're coming too." Alice declared. "We have to make sure our Andy's alright."

"Are you sure?" Andy asked. "I know I'm not of this world, but you two are still my family."

"I've been training with Chicago PD. We'll be fine." Alice reminded her uncle's doppelganger.

"Well, now that's taken care of, shall we?" Lucifer grinned. Andy nodded and activated the device, creating a blue colored portal. After taking a deep breath, Andy, Nica, Alice, Oliver, Constantine, and Lucifer all stepped through the wormhole, and a second later, the portal closed behind them, leaving Harry Wells, Cisco, and Barry alone in the lab.

* * *

 _Derry, Maine_

 _2020_

Sparrow landed the quinjet in the middle of Neibolt Street, where everyone got a good view of what they were up against. Right outside an old, abandoned house, a creature with the appearance of a clown with fiery red hair was laughing maniacally, killing bystanders and police officers alike.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Andy asked.

"Shoot first, ask questions never." Ash suggested, loading his boomstick and revving up his chainsaw.

"I second that." Sparrow grinned, pulling out a sword with a blade that looked like an identical material to Williams' chainsaw.

"Anyone else?" Andy asked, looking towards the rest of the team. "I only saw that clown once. I don't really know what he can do."

"He's a cosmic being who comes off as a demon." Creighton Duke explained. "He feeds off our fears."

"So we just don't have to be scared of him, and remember it's not real." Laurie suggested, while she cranked the pump on her shotgun.

"Seems easy, we already killed what we're scared of." Tommy noted, and he gripped the handle of his axe.

"If you guys are ready to go, then so am I." Andy announced, standing out and pulling out his pistol. "Let's go." The team quickly left the quinjet and walked down Neibolt street, seeing Pennywise enter the abandoned house.

"Got any ideas?" Tommy asked.

"Split up into pairs, take different entrances?" Andy suggested.

"I'm game." Ash shrugged, throwing his beer bottle on the ground, and watched as it shattered. "Your call, fake Andy."

"Right." Andy muttered. "Sparrow, with me at the front. If you've really fought with these 'Avengers', I'd like you to watch my back."

"Pleasure, mate." Jack grinned.

"Ash, you're with Laurie on finding a side door." Andy continued, and the two responded by loading their individual shotguns. "Tommy, you and Duke go through the back."

"This is going to be fun." Creighton grimly joked. With the plans made, the team began to converge on the Neibolt house.

* * *

Andy, Nica, Alice, Oliver, Constantine, and Lucifer felt like they were speeding through a bright tunnel, as images of alternate realities. Andy watched, as one appeared to be the Constantine from Earth 33 slitting his wrists, and a man in a white suit appeared floating down to him in a hospital room.

"Is that-" Andy was about to ask, but was cut off.

"A version of me, from a different plane of existence." Constantine explained. "I'm tripping too, mate."

"I'm not." Lucifer announced smugly. "I'm a transdimensional being. I don't change, no matter what universe I'm in."

"Then did you create the Ghost Rider?" Andy asked.

"What the Hell is that?" Oliver Queen asked.

"Some demon who claimed he made a deal with the Devil." Andy revealed. As he looked towards Lucifer's face, he noticed the Devil's face scrunch in disgust.

"That was most definitely not me." Lucifer protested. "That was the third of the Fallen, Mephistopheles. He also has a son, named Blackheart."

"Sure." Andy rolled his eyes, before seeing an image flash by of a man in a motorcycle jacket becoming a flaming skull. "We're getting close to my multiverse now."

"Good, because I can't tell if I'm going to throw up, or shit myself." Alice groaned, while her face began turning a shade of green.

* * *

Once everyone else got into position, Andy and Jack approached the front door, peering into the windows, but saw nothing.

"What is that sword made of?" Andy asked, looking at the cutlass' blade.

"Vibranium." Sparrow replied, catching his reflection in the metal. "It's the strongest metal on Earth. Stronger than steel, and only a third of the weight. I once worked with a man who's shield was made of the stuff, and it's woven into the fabric of another guy's suit. Fury even told me Ash's chainsaw is made of it."

"So… it's like Dwarf Star alloy?" Andy asked.

"No, it's… eh, sure." Jack sighed. "You gonna knock?" Andy just smirked, and kicked the door down, hearing the satisfying crunch of wood hitting the floor. A few seconds later, Andy heard the back door open, as well as a window breaking, signalling the other team members were getting inside.

"Split up again?" Jack asked, pulling out his customized pistol. Suddenly, they both heard a noise, coming from the basement area.

"No. We regroup, and follow that sound downstairs." Andy declared. Soon enough, the rest of the team arrived at the front, meeting Barclay and Sparrow.

"So what now?" Ash asked, readying his boomstick.

"As I was saying, we head to the basement." Andy informed. "I think It's down there." Everyone murmured in agreement, and slowly, they descended the stairs and into the basement, where they found what looked like a well in the center of the room.

"Fuck, it's pitch dark down here." Andy swore, as he turned on a light. The rest of the team followed suit, and began looking around.

"Where is this shit eater supposed to be?" Ash mumbled to himself, swinging his flashlight around the room. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the face of a clown with red hair and razor sharp teeth jumped out of the darkness.

"Peek a boo!" Pennywise said menacingly.

"Fuck you, asshole!" Ash yelled, firing his boomstick and hitting the clown squarely in the chest. All the slug did was cause Pennywise to stumble back a bit, but he soon regained his balance. The clown's fangs grew three inches, and It lunged at Ash, but Williams held up his chainsaw, barely blocking himself from getting bit. At that moment, everyone else began shooting at the clown, but It seemed to soak up all their ammunition, and still wouldn't die.

"Eat this, bitch!" Ash taunted, and he revved up his chainsaw, causing Pennywise's teeth to break and seriously injure the clown's mouth. Pennywise howled in pain, and Andy and Jack tag teamed in punching and kicking It in the face and body, before they each grabbed and arm.

"Williams, now!" Andy ordered, and Ash revved up his chainsaw once more, and thrust the blade into Its neck with such force, Pennywise's head was severed. In a last action to ensure It was defeated, Andy and Jack walked over to the well and tossed the body down, hearing Its limbs break with each hit against the concrete. Ash slowly walked over, before throwing Pennywise's head in as well.

"Always hated clowns." Ash shook his head. "I'd rather fight a deadite army than sit through their shitty acts."

"I don't get it." Tommy said, confused. "He didn't shapeshift or anything."

"Because none of you were scared." Creighton revealed. "Back in the 80s, the clown began losing Its power because kids were starting to no longer be afraid of him. Now, he's completely lost his power, since no one fears him anymore."

"Almost sad." Ash grunted, and lighted a blunt. "Think this calls for a celebration, though."

Minutes later, Andy and the team exited the Neibolt house, and he began to call the director of SHIELD.

"Fury, Pennywise is dead." Andy informed. "We're on our way back-" Barclay stopped, seeing a blue portal open. "Hang on, I'll call you later." Andy, Jack, and Ash began walking towards the portal. Six figures jumped out, and Andy stepped back in shock. Standing before him were his old friends John Constantine, Oliver Queen, and Lucifer Morningstar, as well as his real wife Nica, and his niece, Alice. Andy then looked towards the right, noticing there was a man who looked exactly like him, albeit wearing his leather jacket.

"Huh. That actually worked." the Andy in the jacket commented. "Oh, I'd like my uniform back."

"What the fuck is going on?" Ash asked, bewildered.

"Guess we need to sort this out." the Andy in the SHIELD uniform said nervously, while his doppelganger nodded.

* * *

 _Baltimore_

 _Poe's House_

Edgar Allan Poe slammed his hands into the wooden desk, reducing the wood to splinters, while Stephen King flinched.

"You failed me." Poe seethed, looking up at a mirror in front of the now destroyed desk. After staring at his own reflection for three seconds, he smashed his fist into the mirror, shattering the glass all around him.

"Poe, please-" King stammered. "Give me another chance. I just didn't think big enough-"

"No." Poe stated. "You didn't. And you can't."

"Please, I can do this!" Stephen begged. "I can do better-"

"Enough!" Poe yelled. "I don't do second chances." Terrified beyond belief, Stephen King lunged for the book, but Poe was faster, backhanding the younger author across the room.

"Too slow, Stephen." Poe said blankly, and he reached down, grabbing the giant tome. With a flick of his wrist, Edgar opened the black book, and pure darkness erupted from its pages, taking the form of hundreds of knives, all pointed towards King. Stephen looked up, horrified at what he saw, before Poe directed the knives towards him, each blade finding its mark and piercing his flesh. Stephen barely let out a scream, as all life had left his eyes, and he died from the many stab wounds.

"Now," Poe declared, turning another page. "It is time to bring an end to this silly universe, as I have with so many others before it…"


	6. Like Looking In A Mirror

_The Dollhouse_

"I must admit, this is new." Nick Fury commented, as both Andy's walked into the bunker, followed by their families and friends. By now, the two doppelgangers have switched outfits back, and the Andy who worked with Fury had his SHIELD uniform back. "Then again, I've had scientists working on how to reach other universes…"

"Well, you're a bit behind then." the Andy in the leather jacket told him. "I got a few friends from my Earth who've already figured it out. Just today, they extended the range on a trans-dimensional device so I could get here with my friends."

"So, how the Hell do we tell you guys apart?" Ash asked, drinking his beer. "Aside from what you're wearing." Both Andy's looked at each other, then to the side.

"Eh, call me by my full name: Andrew." the Andy in the leather jacket offered.

"I'll go by Veronica." the second Nica added.

"I always liked the name Allison." Alice's doppelganger shrugged.

"Well, that was easier than I expected." Constantine smirked, as he lit a cigarette and pointed to the Andy in the SHIELD uniform. "So what's your stories?"

"From what I understand, our timelines are similar." Andrew spoke for his doppelganger. "Except that my family and I are three years into the future."

"That can't possibly be the only difference." Andy scoffed. "There has to be something else that made you into… you."

"Well, from what I understand, that night at Harrogate is like a focal point on how our lives changed." Andy continued. "In a separate timeline, my mother and friends ended up in the nuthouse with Nica, while Alice was trapped in a doll. In the end, we were able to rescue Nica and kill Chucky for good."

"What's your 'current' timeline?" Andy asked, confused.

"I ended up being possessed by Chucky, but with the help of Constantine, Oliver, and Lucifer, I was freed and we all killed Chucky." Veronica explained.

"I was also dead for a few years, before Uncle Andy and Aunt Nica went to Hell to save me." Allyson added.

"After that, I rejoined the Barclays in fighting a nasty git by the name of Damian Darhk." Constantine continued. "We even travelled through time for a bit."

"And just last year, Alice, John, me, and a few others went up against a mad doctor of sorts." Lucifer finished, while he drank a glass of scotch.

"Your Andy mentioned he already knew me from his world." Ash pointed out. "What happened to me there?"

"You also helped in fighting Darhk, then went time travelling with Constantine." Oliver said in a short answer.

"Sounds fun." Williams grinned, and continued getting high.

"What about you guys?" Andrew asked, looking over at his doppelganger. "What happened to you and your family?"

"A bit similar to yours." Andy admitted. "Or rather, your other 'timeline'. My mother and Chucky's son ended up in Harrogate with Nica, and I made it there right after he killed two patients."

"Soon after, we killed Chucky, and got married." Nica continued.

"Lucky, you didn't have to get possessed." Veronica grumbled.

"What about me?" Allyson asked her younger self. "What happened to you?"

"I did something fucked up." Alice revealed. "I transferred my soul into a doll, just like Chucky, in order to go to Harrogate. I killed that doctor there, and that's a mental scar that didn't heal for a long time."

"Hey, we were able to pull through it." Andy cheered his niece up. "After all, my soul was forced into the doll back in 1990."

"Anyways, after the incident at Harrogate, we moved to New York, where Andy met up with his old friend, Frank Castle." Nica continued their story. "About a day after we arrived, a crime lord named Wilson Fisk gathered a supervillain cabal to kill Andy, Frank, and a superhero team known as the Defenders here."

"Sounds a bit like Barry's team." Oliver noted.

"They don't have a speedster." Fury interrupted. "Once the Cabal was defeated, I recruited Barclay, Castle, Williams, Jarvis, and Strode into stopping monsters they've faced in the past, like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees."

"You guys killed them, right?" Veronica asked. "Those assholes freak me out."

"Oh yeah." Tommy Jarvis smirked. "They're back in Hell where they belong."

"Good riddance, too." Creighton Duke smiled.

"Hold on, where's your friend Castle?" Andrew asked, surveying the room full of people.

"He died fighting Voorhees." Laurie Strode elaborated, before looking towards Andy. "But he died a hero."

"They always do." Jack mumbled, and drank rum from his flask.

"And that brings us to right now." Andy finished his story. "Just last night, I had neutralized a serial killer going by the title the Headsman, and when I woke up the next morning, I found myself in your universe."

"Same here." Andrew agreed. "I woke up in this world, in New York."

"We need to find out who did this, and if his work is done-" Veronica tried to say, but then clutched her head, while Nica did the same. Andy and Andrew stared at her, alarmed, but then they too felt an immense pain in their skulls, and gripped their own heads from the torture. The pain was unbearable, as if someone was sticking white hot prongs into their frontal lobes, while a razor sharp knife slid into the cortex. At the same time, Jack noticed that both Alice and Allison were holding the sides of their heads in the exact same manner.

"What the bloody Hell is going on?" Constantine asked, bewildered at the sight.

"They're converging with their doppelgangers." Lucifer realized. Everyone shielded their eyes, a blinding light engulfed each pair of Andy's, Nica's, and Alice's. Once the light faded, smoke cleared, and standing in front of everyone else were Andy and his family. Fury and Constantine sighed in relief, but then their eyes widened, noticing there was only one Andy, only one Nica, and one Alice.

"What the Hell just happened?" Oliver asked, confused.

"I'm with Robin Hood on this." Ash chimed in. "I'm not the only one seeing this shit, right?"

"No, why?" Laurie whispered.

"Like I said, I'm baked." Ash replied smugly.

"Andy, you alright, mate?" Constantine asked curiously.

"I feel… as if I've lived two separate lives." Andy revealed, opening his eyes and looking down. Barclay's brows knit together, noticing he was wearing the same clothes as that night in Harrogate. Andy looked over to Nica and Alice, who appeared to wear similar outfits.

"It feels like I've known you all for years." Nica added, frowning. "What happened to us?"

"Both your halves merged." Lucifer explained. "I haven't seen it done often…"

"We'll solve this later." Andy announced. "Right now, I know how Pennywise came to life. Or at least, I have a hunch."

"By all means, share with the class." Fury encouraged.

"He was willed into existence by the man who created him-" Andy paused, looking everyone in the eye. "-Stephen King."

"How'd he manage that?" Ash asked, looking up with stoned eyes.

"He was given a book that can control all of reality." Andy elaborated. "That book was given by Edgar Allan Poe."

"Got an idea where he is?" Tommy asked.

"I know it's at his home." Andy volunteered, before looking towards Fury. "Do you still have the Theta-Wave?"

"You know it." Fury grinned, and he and Andy led everyone else towards the lab part of the bunker.

* * *

Five minutes later, Fury had Andy set up to the frequency machine, with everyone else watching.

"Looks similar to something Barry used against Devoe." Oliver observed, with Constantine nodding in agreement.

"You never told me about this." Nica said to Andy. "How exactly does this work?"

"Simple." Fury responded for Barclay. "The machine scans his brainwaves, then produces an image from his subconscious."

"Ready to go." Andy declared, giving Fury the thumbs up. Fury smirked and hit the button, lighting up the machine while Andy closed his eyes.

* * *

Andy opened his eyes, finding himself in an endless void. He looked around, not seeing anyone or anyone.

"Hello?" Andy asked, looking around once more. Suddenly, Barclay heard footsteps behind him, and he swung around, coming face to face with a man with white hair and a mustache, and wearing thick glasses.

"Good day, Andy Barclay." the older man greeted, extending his hand.

"Who the fuck are you?" Andy asked, losing his patience.

"I go by many names." the man sighed. "The Presence. Yahweh. The Man. The One Above All. But I prefer Stan. Just Stan."

"You're… you're God?" Andy gasped.

"I suppose that's one way to put it." Stan shrugged. "Oh, don't worry. Your friends are still obtaining the image of Poe conversing with Stephen King."

"So why have you come to speak with me?" Andy asked, confused.

"I am merely here to explain what exactly you're up against." Stan told him, before taking a deep breath. "I don't do everything alone, you know. I may be the One Above All and everything, but even I need some help. So I founded a council of elders who shaped their own realities."

"Is this story leading anywhere?" Andy grumbled.

"Mortals. So impatient." Stan chuckled. "My council has been comprised of individuals who could create entire multiverses with mere thoughts. George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Bob Kane, you get the idea. Edgar Allan Poe was once on the council."

"He what?" Andy said out loud, shocked.

"He used to be better." Stan insisted. "But he was obsessed with the idea that all worlds were filled with darkness and fear. He made an attempt to destroy all universes, but I had banished him, imprisoning most of his powers in that enormous book you saw Stephen King use."

"And now he's found it after over a century." Andy guessed, but Stan shook his head.

"Poe, like the rest of the council, are not from this world." Stan revealed. "What has only been a hundred years for you has been millennia for us. But enough of that now. You must stop Poe, for all the world's sakes. Merging your halves the beginning, and he's forcing the universes to collide."

"Why can't you do it?" Andy asked, getting annoyed. "If you are the literal God, why can't you stop Poe on your own?"

"Because I have foreseen that you will reign victorious." Stan told him. "But be warned: it will come at a price."

"I'm sure I'll be able to handle it." Andy said arrogantly. Stan kindly smiled, before he began fading away.

"Farewell, Andy Barclay." Stan said. "Oh, and tell Sparrow and Lucifer I said hi."

* * *

Andy woke up and quickly got off of the Theta-Wave bed, where everyone else crowded around the digital image of Poe giving King the book.

"Jesus, what happened?" Nica asked. "You were in there for awhile!"

"I'm fine." Andy told his wife. "I know what we need to do."

"Great, because I know where you need to go." Fury announced. "Baltimore, Maryland. That's where's Poe's house is."

"We all going?" Ash asked.

"Not everyone." Andy decided. "Especially not my family."

"But-" Alice tried to say, but was interrupted.

"I know that you want to help." Andy told his niece. "And if it was anything else, I would let you. But this guy, Poe, he has the powers of a fucking God. I don't want you anywhere near him." Alice looked up at Andy, before wrapping him in a bear hug, and cried into his shoulder.

"Just make it back to us." Alice sobbed. "Please."

"I will." Andy promised, before prying Alice off of him and turning towards his friends. "Williams, Constantine, Sparrow, Oliver, and Lucifer. I'd like you guys with me when I head to confront Poe."

"Why us?" Ash asked.

"Because I've known you all, and fought with you side by side on multiple occasions. And Jack's going because he seems to know quite a bit about this dimensional shit." Andy said. "Ash, I've had the privilege of knowing two different versions of you. And let me say, you both are good men." Ash smirked, as he loaded up his boomstick.

"Well, let's go save the world." Williams grinned. Andy grinned, and while Fury began instructing Tommy and Laurie to take care of another assignment, Barclay and his closest friends began walking towards the quinjet.

"Oh, and Jack, Lucifer." Andy remembered. "Stan says hi."

"You met Stan?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Good old Dad…" Lucifer grinned, looking up to the Heavens, before entering the quinjet last.


	7. Imminent Crisis

_Baltimore, Maryland_

Hours later, the quinjet landed a few blocks away from Edgar Allan Poe's house, and Sparrow turned back towards Andy and the rest of the group.

"Ready, mates?" Jack asked, flashing a gold toothed smile.

"No, but time isn't a luxury." Andy admitted. "Listen guys, if we die from this, I just want to know, it's been an honor knowing each of you. Including Jack, even though I haven't known you long."

"Pleasure's mine, Barclay." Jack grinned, and the group exited the quinjet and began walking towards the old home.

* * *

Nica, Alice, and Fury walked down the hallways in the Dollhouse, discussing what they could do.

"Director, how can you be sure Andy will be alright?" Nica asked, worried for her husband.

"Shouldn't you trust him more than I do?" Nick asked, turning towards Barclay's wife. "He should be fine with… Constantine and Lucifer. That was their names, right?"

"Yes." Nica answered. "But if Edgar Allan Poe can change reality with that- that book, what can he do to them?"

"Don't worry." Fury reassured her. "From what I heard, Andy's other half has fought off world ending threats before."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"Well, I have had agents research the multiverse ever since Jack Sparrow ended up in this world, and we found the doppelgangers of you, your aunt, and your uncle." Fury replied. "There, we discovered the history, where that half of you all not only fought a demon, but also a man with the powers of a god."

"Anuboll and Damian Darhk." Nica confirmed. "And Alice fought a speedster, aliens, and an evil version of Andy."

"That was one Hell of a week." Alice smirked, then got serious. "So you knew about Poe this whole time. It wasn't an accident you recruited Uncle Andy six months ago."

"No. It wasn't." Nick admitted, before activating his communications device. "Agent Barclay, what's the status?"

* * *

"Just a block away, Director." Andy replied, and the group stopped just across the street. "Well guys, this is it."

Right before they continued towards the house, the front door was thrown open, revealing Edgar Allan Poe to everyone.

"Gentlemen." Poe greeted, holding out his book of reality. "Welcome to my humble abode."

"Fuck you." Andy spat, pointing his pistol at Poe's head. Unfortunately, Poe simply twisted his hand to the side, and Andy's gun hand involuntarily moved towards his own head, resting the barrel against his temple.

"Andy Barclay." Poe smiled. "The man who has gone toe to toe with gods and monsters. Your luck ends here."

"What about mine, mate?" Constantine asked, lighting his hand on fire and throwing a fireball towards Poe. As quick as lightning, Edgar opened the book, conjuring a type of shield that stopped the fireball mere inches from his face.

"Valiant try, demonologist." Poe complimenting, but his eyes widened slightly, as Lucifer telekinetically launched his pentecostal coin at the flame, somehow causing an unnatural explosion that brought Poe to the ground, simultaneously granting Andy control over his body again.

"Stand down!" Oliver ordered, readying an arrow in his bow. "You're outnumbered!"

"Not quite." Poe sneered, and shadows erupted from the book. At first, nothing happened, until the ground suddenly cracked open, creating a fissure, where hands of the damned from Hell began climbing out.

"Shit." Andy cursed, as the door to Poe's home supernaturally closed on its own.

"Uh, guys?" Jack said worriedly, watching as demonic hands tried to grab at his ankles. "We're about to have company."

"Dammit." Andy swore again, shooting at one of the hands. "Try to hold these things off as long as possible! I'm going after Poe!" the rest of the team nodded and began fighting for their lives, while Andy charged the house, busting the door down with a single kick, and forced his way inside.

* * *

"Fury, the apocalypse has kicked off early." Nick heard Jack tell him into his earpiece. "Looks like Poe is raising the dead."

"Damn." Fury muttered. "Try to hold out. I'm calling in the Avengers." Fury cut comms and was about to make the call, but turned around, seeing Nica on her phone.

"What are you doing?" Fury asked, as he dialed Tony Stark's number.

"Calling some backup." Nica replied, as her own call was made. "Hi, Jessica? Get Luke and Danny, and head over to Baltimore as quick as you can. Andy needs help…"

* * *

Ash, Jack, Constantine, Oliver, and Lucifer circled together, back to back, and fought off the monsters attacking them. All around them, demons, skeletons, zombies, and even past villains rose up from the deep crack in the street, ready to fight the team of heroes. No matter how hard they fought, with each enemy they put down, it seemed ten more took its place.

"We're not getting out of here." Constantine realized, conjuring a shield around everyone.

"Have a little faith, Johnny." Lucifer quipped, as he flew out of the shield and attacked the demons, before grappling with Mephistopheles, the one who created the Ghost Rider.

"Don't worry, help is on the way." Jack reassured everybody, as he took out a pistol and shot an African American version of Wilson Fisk dead in the heart.

"Help from who?" Ash asked, firing his boomstick. "Santa Claus?" As soon as he said that, a fiery portal opened, and Robbie Reyes stepped out, igniting his flaming skull and brandishing his Hellchain.

"Ah, the Rider." Jack greeted, then looked behind him, noticing a few familiar faces. One of them wore a leather red suit with a horned mask, there was a woman in a leather jacket, an African American man in a hoodie, and a blonde haired man with a glowing fist. "I see you brought the Defenders with you. Bit surprised the Devil on our shoulders is back."

"Just like when we faced Thanos in Harlem, I came back for one last dance." Matt Murdock grinned. Just then, Lucifer flew down, approaching the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.

"You must be Daredevil." Lucifer explained, grabbing Murdock's hand and shaking it. "Saw all three seasons of your show on Netflix. Big fan!"

"Uh, thanks?" Matt said, confused. "Wish I could see yours?"

"What's going on?" Oliver asked, as he saw another portal open, this time with Doctor Strange coming out, followed by the original members of the Avengers. "Did we get sucked into some type of movie?"

"Blimey, that's a colorful bunch." Constantine noted, eyeing Doctor Strange. "And didn't you hear, Queen? In this world, we exist in their televisions, and vice versa for them in our world."

"If only Dig could see this." Oliver muttered, approaching Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye. "He'd get a heart attack from this."

"Nat's going to be laughing about this one for a long time." Hawkeye agreed, and the two archers turned around and fired explosive arrows at a zombie like version of Damian Darhk. "The guy with the most kills wins."

"Bring it." Oliver smirked, drawing back his bow with another arrow. Just then, a blue portal opened, and a streak of yellow lightning ran through the area, followed by a red and blue blur.

"Barry, Kara. Glad you could make it." Oliver grinned. "Where's everyone else?"

"Still on our Earth." Barry replied. "Whatever's happening here is also happening over there." Everyone's blood ran cold, realizing their worlds were beginning to collide.

"Uh, guys-" Iron Man called out, looking up. Every hero followed his gaze, seeing what appeared to be a mirror image of a city hovering over them, but hanging upside down. Oliver and Constantine squinted, noticing some friends, such as Wally West, John Diggle, and Superman were inhabiting that city, hanging upside down as if gravity was reversed. Even with Thor repeatedly slamming his hammer down, Captain America using his shield to protect innocents, and Iron Fist keeping the demonic creatures at bay , more or less everyone else stood with their mouths hanging open. It wasn't until the Hulk roared with pure rage, and Barry Allen through endless lightning bolts, did Jessica Jones utter three words that were on everyone's minds.

"What. The. _Fuck?_ "

* * *

Andy quickly swept through each and every room of Poe's house, before hearing footsteps upstairs. With no time to lose, Barclay dashed up the stairs, and upon hearing the sound of pacing behind a bedroom door, he furiously grabbed the doorknob, twisting and pulling at it, but it was locked.

"Edgar Allan Poe!" Andy yelled. "I know you're in there! Come out now, you fucking coward! I'm not scared of you, nor am I impressed by what you're doing!" Andy finally lost his patience, and he kicked the door down, suddenly being transported to a pocket dimension that appeared to be an endless void.

Andy looked down, noticing he was standing on top of a floating, solid black mass, and in front of him, was Poe, with the book closed.

"Amazing." Poe commented, turning towards him. "You have no powers, yet in both realities, you have been able to fight against the demonic and the supernatural."

"Maybe it's just luck." Andy suggested. "Why are you doing this?"

"I was testing your universes." Poe explained. "Because you have forgotten what true horror feels like. Mortals cower behind the likes of super powered individuals, or those with an abundance of technology, to solve their problems for them."

"Sometimes we need superheroes to fight demons." Andy protested. "Do you think the average human can take on someone like Damian Darhk?"

"You could!" Poe snapped, and his eyes began burning with a dark fire. Still, Andy held his ground. "Where were these superheroes during the Dark Ages? Where were they when the Bubonic Plague wiped out thousands?"

"So that's what this is about." Andy accused. "You're all pissed off because we're not afraid anymore. Because people like the Avengers, and the Green Arrow and Flash give us hope."

"Precisely." Poe admitted, opening the book. "If you all cannot remember how dark and cold the world is, then I will show you!" Dark energy flew out of the book and all around Andy, and he was temporarily blinded. A small window to the outside world was created, and he watched outside, helpless as his friends were fighting off hordes of demonic forces.

* * *

Constantine was the first to see it, having paired up with Doctor Strange and casting spells left and right.

"Wait… what the bloody Hell is that?" Constantine asked, watching a black smoke exit a window of Poe's house and float into the street, taking the form of a figure in a red and black robe with a pale mask. Strange squinted, as the mask, having blood stained eyeholes, was being taken off, revealing the figure had no face. As soon as the mask came off, the robe crumpled to the ground, as if nothing happened.

"Well, that was odd." Constantine muttered, throwing a fireball at what appeared to be a resurrected Davy Jones, while Sparrow took the opportunity to cut off the monster's many tentacled head. "And considering there's a literal floating city above of us, that's saying something."

"Wait." Strange warned, and his mind clicked. He knew about that figure before. Some type of short story from one of his classes when he was younger- "The Mask of the Red Death." As soon as he said it, the doctor began choking, and he collapsed onto the ground, while his face broke out into blisters and boils. Blood began seeping out of his ears and nose, and Strange started to violently convulse in the middle of the street.

"Uh, Doc?" Constantine gulped nervously, but he started to feel something was off. John looked at his hands, now also covered in blisters. Horrified, the demonologist reached to his nose and pulled back, revealing blood on his fingertips, and he looked around him, noticing all the other heroes, even Supergirl and Lucifer, where having the same effects.

"Oh, bollocks…" Constantine whispered, and he collapsed in the street, beginning the convulsions.

* * *

In the bunker, Nica, Alice, and Fury waited patiently with Tommy and Laurie, trying to figure out what just happened.

"Williams, come in!" Fury shouted into his comms, but all that came out was static. "Sparrow! Stark! Anyone!"

"What's happening?" Nica asked, suddenly terrified.

"I don't know." Nick said truthfully, for once not having all the answers.

* * *

"No!" Andy screamed, attempting to run and tackle Poe. "Stop this now!" Edgar chuckled, and simply raised his hand, freezing Andy in place.

"Intriguing." Poe lamented. "To think you can yell loud enough, you can control a god."

"You're no god." Andy spat out. Angered, Poe pulled Barclay closer to him, grabbing him by the throat.

"Am I, though?" Poe asked. "I have brought forth a plague to wipe out these pitiful 'superheroes'. I have orchestrated the event that will collapse multiverses. If that is not the power of a god, then you best come up with something better."

"Look, you win, okay?" Andy pleaded. "You wanted to remind people that the world is dark. Well, my whole life has been filled with pain, and suffering. Like you, when I look into my heart, all I see is chaos and darkness. I thought that I had gotten rid of that darkness long ago, but it will always be apart of me, it is who I am. But people like the Avengers, Flash, Supergirl, the Green Arrow. Even my own wife and the pirate, Sparrow, they inspire people to be better. They have inspired me to at least try to be a better person."

"What are you trying to say, Barclay?" Poe asked, interested.

"What I'm saying is that the world doesn't have to be dark." Andy elaborated. "It can have light as well. One must act as a counterbalance to the other. And if you can't see that light and dark have to be balanced in any and all universes, then as far as gods go, you're not a smart one." Poe genuinely smiled at Barclay's monologue, and began chuckling.

"Funny that you should mention your wife and niece," Edgar told Andy. "Because they're not really your family." Andy's eyes widened in shock.

"What?" Barclay blurted out. Poe sighed, waving his hand, and a cloudy vision came up, showing what appeared to be a crowded movie theater. The screen was already playing, and Andy squinted to see what was being shown. Once he did, he wished he could unsee it.

" _Hi, I'm Andy." a kid that looked like Andy as a child said enthusiastically. "What's your name?"_

" _Hi, I'm Chucky, and I'm your friend till the end." a familiar doll with red hair blinked its deep blue eyes. "Hi dee ho! Ha ha ha!"_

" _He's something, isn't he?" a woman who looked exactly like Andy's late mother asked._

"No. It can't be." Andy moaned, horrified as the scenes switched from him and Kyle running in the Good Guy doll factory, De Silva teaching him how to shoot, getting Chucky in the mail the day before his birthday, and finally, almost shooting Nica, who was possessed by Charles Lee Ray in Harrogate.

"Deep down, you know it's true." Poe taunted cruelly. "You know that where the Green Arrow and the Flash are from, heroes like Spider man, Thor, and the Hulk are fictional characters in movies. And where the Avengers are from, Oliver Queen and Barry Allen are played by actors in television shows. By that logic, you know that somewhere, in some type of universe, you are just a movie character, played by a lesser known actor named Alex Vincent-"

"Enough!" Andy shouted, startling Poe for the first time. "Undo all this!" Poe merely laughed, and handed Andy the gigantic tome.

"I cannot be forced to alter something I do not desire." Edgar told him. "Only you can make your dream a reality. But be warned, it will come at a hefty price."

"What was the price you had to pay?" Andy retorted, beginning to open the book.

"Being cast out of the elder council." Poe revealed. "In order to maintain the balance, I was banished once I bonded with the book." Andy nodded, and turned a page, as darkness began to seep from the paper.

"You said I must give something up to reverse the damage of universes colliding." Andy reminded Poe. "What if I separated all the universes to the way they were before? Where we only exist in those movies or television shows? Including the erasure of these multiverses, and the memories of them?" Poe simply looked at Andy, and gave him a small nod. Smiling in thanks, Barclay stared back at the book and concentrated, as darkness continued to pour out of the pages. After what felt like an eternity, Andy shut the book and turned back to the small window, seeing that the upside down city was gone, the fissure in the street had closed up, and all his friends and heroes were getting up, good as new.

"Are you ready to hold up your end of the bargain?" Poe asked, holding out his hand.

"May I please have time to speak with my wife- Nica?" Andy asked, catching himself. Poe sighed, but reluctantly gave Barclay a silver pocket watch.

"One hour. No more." Edgar instructed, and with a wave of his hand, he transported Andy back to his home in Baltimore.

* * *

Andy woke up on the floor of the bedroom, and in an instant, he ran outside to find all his friends were perfectly fine.

"Andy, you old bloke." Constantine smirked, lighting a cigarette. "I knew you could do it."

"Thanks, John." Andy grinned, before he suddenly heard Nick Fury's voice in his comms.

"Barclay, what the Hell just happened-" Fury tried to say, but the communication was quickly taken by an unknown person.

"Andy, are you okay?" Nica's voice sobbed through the earpiece. "Alice and I were worried that you-"

"I'm fine, Nica." Andy reassured her. "Hey, could you and Alice meet me at Josie's bar in Hell's Kitchen? I need to talk with you guys, it's urgent." After hearing his wife say yes, Andy shut off communications, before turning to the other heroes.

"Thank you all for your help. I don't think I could have done this without you." Andy said truthfully. Everyone murmured in agreement, before beginning to leave in various portals.

"Hey, John." Andy called out, and the demonologist stopped. "You mind if you, Lucifer, Oliver, and Ash tag along for a bit? You guys gotta know something."

"Of course, Andy." Constantine grinned, stamping out his cigarette. "As long as you're buying the rounds." Lucifer and Oliver chuckled, while Ash whooped excitedly. Andy shook his head in amusement, and after finding the transdimensional device, set the location for Hell's Kitchen, New York, and the five of them walked into the portal to meet with Nica and Alice.


	8. Magic Always Has A Price

Deep in the spaces between universes, Edgar Allan Poe watched as the destruction he caused was slowly being undone.

"Now, do you understand?" A familiar voice asked. Poe turned around, seeing an older man with white hair, white mustache, and wore wide glasses.

"Stan?" Poe asked. "I haven't seen you in…"

"It's been thousands of years." Stan agreed. "Do you get why I banished you from the council, so long ago?"

"I- I do." Poe admitted. "I believed the universes were complete darkness. I thought it was impossible that there could be light."

"And that, is what your test was." Stan smiled. "To see the balance between light and dark, in order to maintain the universe."

"So, what now?" Poe asked, curious. "Do I get cast down into the abyss?"

"No, old friend." Stan said softly, laying his hand on Edgar's shoulder. "It's time you've come home." The two gods turned around, walking towards a light from afar. Poe squinted, noticing that inside the light was a table, with chairs all around it. Sitting in those chairs were fellow world creators, such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Jack Kirby, and Bob Kane.

"The council." Poe gasped. Stan simply smiled and nodded.

"Welcome Back, Edgar Allan Poe."

* * *

Josie's Bar

"So let me get this straight-" Nica interrupted Andy while he was recounting what happened nearly an hour ago. Around the two was their niece, Alice, John Constantine, Lucifer Morningstar, Oliver Queen, and Ash Williams, somehow fitting in the same booth. "-You confronted Edgar Allan Poe, and convinced him to stop the universes from running into each other?"

"Pretty much." Andy mumbled, taking a cigarette from Constantine and taking a long drag. "The threat is gone. The universes are separated- the way they should be."

"Hang on, mate." Constantine interrupted, thinking about what Andy just said. "You said that the universes are separated. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"You've always told me that magic has a price." Andy shrugged. "And that was pretty powerful magic to keep the universes from destroying each other."

"What price did you pay?" Oliver asked, nervous of the outcome. Andy sighed, looking at his wife.

"Do you remember how the Avengers exist as movie characters in your world, Queen?" Andy asked. The Green Arrow slowly nodded. "The same goes for you in this world. You only exist in a television show. Same for Ash, John, and Lucifer."

"And what about you?" Ash asked, setting down his blunt.

"Nica, Alice, and I exist in a movie series called Child's Play." Andy revealed. "The last film came out in 2017."

"Why are you telling us this?" Alice asked, but she had an idea where her uncle was leading them.

"The price I had to pay…" Andy took a deep breath. "...Is that time was turned back to where our stories are left off. Meaning that Nica and I aren't married."

"Oh God…" Nica whispered. "Do you think that we will be together?"

"I don't know." Andy replied truthfully, and looked at his wife. "But know this Nica: no matter what happens, I will always love you right now. And I will find my way back to you." With that, Andy leaned in and kissed Nica passionately, and the two closed their eyes. It was only after he heard the ticking of Poe's pocket watch, when Barclay pulled away.

"Damn." Andy muttered, checking the silver watch in his hand. "The hour's up." As soon as he said it, a dark shadow began clouding his vision. Despite being covered in darkness, Andy smiled, knowing that even though he had sacrificed his life with his family, he had saved all the universes, the entire multiverse. Before his memory was completely erased, Andy whispered three final words towards Nica.

"I love you…"


	9. Epilogue: Balance Restored

_Caribbean_

 _1751_

"What be our heading, Captain?" Jack Sparrow looked over to his best friend and first mate of the Black Pearl, Joshamee Gibbs, who was looking intently at a map.

"We shall follow the stars, Master Gibbs." Jack declared, looking out over the sea.

"Aye, Aye Captain!" Gibbs agreed, tossing the map behind him while Sparrow began studying his compass. The compass, though enchanted to not point North, was leading its owner straight ahead. With a sly smile, Jack shut his compass, and grabbed hold of the ship's wheel.

"I have a rendezvous beyond my beloved horizon." Jack smirked, and as his late rival's pet monkey, nicknamed Jack, climbed onto Sparrow's shoulder, the crew went to work on manning the ship. Crewmembers dashed about in raising the sails, cleaning the cannons, and securing the rigging, all the while Jack steered the ship, towards the sun that was just setting down over the sea.

* * *

 _Wakanda_

 _2018_

"You should have gone for the head." Thanos, the Mad Titan, wheezed, as he raised his left arm, the middle finger and thumb of the Infinity Gauntlet clenched together.

"No!" Thor yelled, but it was too late, and Thanos snapped the gauntlet fingers together, creating a bright light that blinded the god of thunder for a few moments. Once the light faded from his eyes, Thor looked at the gauntlet in horror, as it now appeared beaten and smoking, with the Infinity Stones' energy dulled.

"What did you do?" Thor demanded, barely registering that Thanos' entire left arm appeared burned. "What did you do?" The Mad Titan didn't answer, and with a final clench of his fist, the space stone opened a portal that sucked the alien in, leaving Thor's ax Stormbreaker on the ground. Thor simply stared at his weapon, now caked with purple blood, while Captain America approached him, struggling to keep walking after the beatdown Thanos gave him earlier.

"Where'd he go?" Steve asked, looking around frantically. "Thor. Where'd he go?"

"Steve?" Rogers turned around, finding the one who called him was his lifelong friend, Bucky Barnes, who began disintegrating before his very eyes. Within seconds, Bucky became nothing but a pile of ash, with only his rifle remaining. Shocked, Steve and Thor approached the ashes, with Steve kneeling down and inspecting the remains of his friend. All across Wakanda, M'Baku's army began fading into dust, as he could do nothing but watch. T'Challa attempted to help his general, Okoye, up from the ground, but died shortly after, followed by Rocket's companion Groot, Sam Wilson, as James Rhodes hopelessly called out his name, and Wanda Maximoff, who was crying next to the body of the slain android Vision.

Steve made his way over to the graying body of Vision, turning him over to reveal a crater in his forehead where the mind stone once was. He didn't turn around, but he knew that Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, and Rhodes had gathered around him, surveying the chaos. Even Rocket joined them, albeit sitting on a tree branch and morning his fallen friend.

"What is this?" Rhodey asked, alarmed as Rogers collapsed on the ground. "What the Hell is happening?" Steve honestly didn't know, and began pondering what had occurred. They had lost. Thanos was victorious, and their allies had faded into ashes. Well, not all of them. It appeared that only half of them were gone…

"Oh, God."

* * *

 _Slabside Prison_

 _2018_

Oliver Queen slowly and painfully walked out of Slabside Maximum Security, getting no resistance from the officers guarding the open gate. After what had just happened, with Ricardo Diaz breaking in causing a riot just to kill Queen, he had more than earned his freedom. The moment he passed the inner gate, Oliver lifted his head towards the heavens, soaking in the sunlight on his bloody and beaten face. After what felt like an eternity, Oliver lowered his head and opened his eyes, seeing his best friend, John Diggle, and wife, Felicity Smoak, on the other side of the outer gate.

The guards opened the gate, and Oliver and Felicity briskly walked towards each other, quickly embracing each other after months of being apart. As Felicity began weeping in joy, she and Oliver kissed passionately, not caring that Diggle or the guards could see.

It had been six long months, but he was no longer inmate 4587. He was Oliver Queen once more.

* * *

 _Los Angeles_

 _2018_

"Lucifer."

Chloe Decker walked down the staircase of Marcus Pierce's safehouse, finding her partner hunched over, and crouched over the body of the LAPD's former lieutenant. Just moments ago, she was on top of the building, not knowing how she had managed to get there. Or perhaps she did know. Perhaps she has always known from the start. And now, she was going to see the truth.

"Lucifer." Chloe repeated, and Morningstar stood up, turning around to face Decker. Chloe's blood ran cold, and her eyes went wide with fear. Standing in front of her was a man with raw and blistering red skin, with fiery red eyes to match.

"It's all true." Chloe barely gasped, and she began to back away, inch by inch. The man- the thing- in front of her wasn't her partner, her friend. It was the face of a monster.

"Detective?" the monster asked in Lucifer's voice, sounding confused.

"It's all true." Chloe repeated, this time quieter, as she continued backing away.

* * *

 _Waverider_

 _2018_

"...And the worst part-" John Constantine got up from the armchair as he recounted his tale to Sara Lance, telling her what he did that severely damaged the timeline. He had only wanted to save his lover, Desmond, but in the process, his friends and allies on the Waverider died in his place. Eventually, he was forced to come to terms with what he had done, and John reluctantly set the timeline back to the way it was. "-It didn't even make a bloody difference. I was a fool, thinking I could outrun this fight, flying around with you lot."

"Yeah, we tend to fly directly into fights." Sara reminded the demonologist with a smirk. "But, we do it together. And we have your back."

"Well, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into." Constantine warned, staring at the ship's captain. "Because a demon like Neron, he doesn't just want to win. He wants to win in the cruelest possible way."

* * *

 _New York City_

 _2016_

Frank Castle sat in a circle with other war veterans, in the basement of Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. After he had finally killed everyone responsible for his family's deaths, as well as permanently scarring his former best friend, Billy Russo, for life, Frank had nowhere else to turn but to join Curtis Hoyle's sessions for veterans.

"Y'know, as long as I was at war… I never thought about what would happen next." Frank opened up in front of the other vets, while Curtis watched his friend. "What I was gonna do when it was over. But I guess that's it, you know. I think that might be the hardest part, the silence." Frank stopped for a moment, taking time to look at Hoyle for a moment, before he went on.

"The silence when the gunfire ends." Castle continued. "How do- how do you live in that? I guess… I guess that's what you're trying to figure out, huh? It's what you guys are doing. You're working on it. I respect that. I just…" Frank paused again, fumbling for the rights words.

"Um… if you're gonna look at yourself, really look in the mirror, you gotta-" Frank stopped, catching a breath. "Yeah, you gotta admit who you are. But not just to yourself, you gotta admit it to everyone else. First time, as long as I can remember, I don't have a war to fight. And I guess, if I'm going to be honest, I just…" Castle halted himself, looking towards Curtis for support, before finishing his piece.

"I'm scared."

* * *

 _Harrogate Institute_

 _2017_

"You sent me?" Chucky looked up at Andy Barclay, surprised at how quickly the tables turned. One minute, the killer doll had his lifelong nemesis right where he wanted him; locked up in a cell at a mental facility. The next, Barclay had ripped a gun out of the doll's stomach and unloaded the clip into his body, which had rapidly become human.

"Thanks for coming after me." Andy said coldly. "You saved me the trouble."

"Fuck you!" Those were the last words Chucky said, as Andy's foot came crashing down onto his head, crushing the skull and smearing the floor with blood and brains.

Andy sighed in relief, believing his tormentor was dead, but suddenly turned around, aiming his gun at Nica Pierce, who was somehow standing up. Andy was taken aback for a bit, knowing full well that Nica had been confined to a wheelchair since birth.

"You kill me, you kill her." Nica warned, and that's when the realization dawned on him. Standing before him wasn't Nica after all, but Charles Lee Ray, taking possession of the young woman.

"Think about it…" Chucky egged on, and in a split second, Andy squeezed the trigger. Unfortunately, Barclay forgot that he wasted all his ammunition on the doll, and he was momentarily stunned.

"Yeah, thinkin' is for losers." Chucky taunted, while Andy began reloading his gun. Just then, a woman's voice could be heard of the PA system.

" _Lockdown. The facility is now on lockdown._ " Chucky looked down the hall, hearing the sound of a guard quickly approaching.

"Tag, you're it, pal!" Chucky gleefully mocked, and reached for the cell's door. Realizing what was about to happen, Andy surged forward, but it was too late, and he was locked in the padded cell, while Chucky cackled with delight.

"No!" Andy screamed, pounding his fists against the door, while Chucky fled Harrogate. As the PA system continued to issue orders, Andy gave up in getting out, and he looked down, already feeling the weight of his defeat.

* * *

In the realm between space and time, an old man with white hair and round glasses watched as the separate universe's stories continued to unfold in the pages of a gigantic, black covered book, which had a clasp in the shape of a raven dangling off to the side.. Suddenly, without warning, he turned around, snapping the book shut, the raven clasp automatically locking, and addressed a seemingly invisible audience.

"You see, true believers, every universe must have a balance." the man, known to some as the One Above All, others as the presence, but for now, simply Stan, spoke with clear intention. "Darkness cannot exist with light. Light cannot exist without dark. But no matter how dark things seem, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. So have faith, that the creators of those worlds will make everything right in the end.

" _Excelsior!_ "

* * *

RIP Stan Lee

December 28th, 1922 - November 12th, 2018


End file.
